Ebbw Vale v Rumney 05.11.2011

SWALEC League Division 1 East

EBBW VALE v RUMNEY

Eugene Cross Park, Ebbw Vale
Saturday 5th November 2011, k.o. 2.30 pm

 
Ebbw Vale v Rumney 15.01.2011
Past playing record : played 2, Ebbw Vale 2 wins, Rumney 0 wins

Rumney : 15.Dan Millward  14.Gareth Stoppani  13.Lewis Rees  12.Luke Fear  11.Lee Bendon  10.Danny Clark (Capt)  9.Lewis Andrews  8.Chris Jones  7.Ryan Fenton  6.Simon Barry  5.Joe Mills  4.Paul Bull  3.Colin O'Donoghue  2.Carl Fish  1.John Leadbeatter
Replacements : 16.Chris Milton  17.Michael Kelly  18.Michael Neale  19.Nathan Bridson  20.Desmond Matthews

Ebbw Vale : 15.Charlie Simpson  14.Wesley Cunliffe  13.Tristan Davies  12.Dan Dearden  11.Tom Ashmead  10.Dorian Jones  9.Dai Jones   8.Ethan Matthews  7.Ronnie Kynes  6.Nicky Coughlin  5.Ashley Sweet  4.Damien Hudd (Capt)  3.Dan Goode  2.Ben Parry  1.Josh Powell
Replacements : 16.Rhys Miller  17.Nathan Ace  18.Ewan Hopkins  19.Dan Haymond  20.Tom Macpherson

Referee : Jason Langdon, Brackla, Bridgend

   

Ebbw Vale 34   Rumney 5

Scorer for Rumney : Danny Clark try

Scorers for Ebbw Vale  : Charlie Simpson try and 2 conversions, Dan Dearden try, Josh Powell try, Ashley Sweet try, Nicky Coughlin try, Dorian Jones penalty and conversion

Ebbw Vale moved to the top of the Division One East league table with a convincing win over Rumney at Eugene Cross Park, running in five tries to secure maximum points. From the kick off the visiting forwards enthusiastically entered into the contest but within a minute they were penalised for not releasing, and Ebbw Vale outside half Dorian Jones kicked the three points. The early scrummages, though equally contested, were messy affairs with The Steelmen being penalised for wheeling the first set piece, and both sides tried to open up play, the home backs looking particularly incisive when fullback Charlie Simpson cut through on a weaving run. The visitors conceded penalties and consequently gave away vast amounts of territory, Ebbw Vale happy to have Dorian Jones kick for position and lineout specialist, second row Ashley Sweet guaranteeing quality possession for elusive scrum half Dai Jones. In contrast, the Rumney lineout was surprisingly unreliable, scrum half Lewis Andrews doing the best possible with difficult balls, and a delayed put in allowing Dorian Jones to take play into the visitors' twenty two for the first time. The Steelmen continued to spread the ball, Rumney flanker Ryan Fenton and centre Lewis Rees putting in important tackles to force errors, No8 Chris Jones driving forward from the base of the scrum and Captain Danny Clark kicking expertly out of hand, but the home forwards were starting to exert controlled pressure, with flanker Nicky Coughlin also gaining ground through powerful bursts in loose play. In the fifteenth minute Chris Jones was yellow carded for playing the ball on the floor and Dorian Jones kicked The Steelmen down to the Rumney five metre line, where Sweet accurately won the lineout and set an unstoppable rolling maul, leading to prop Josh Powell's touchdown for the first try. Dorian Jones' conversion gave Ebbw Vale a 10-0 lead and the outside half was soon pegging the visitors back again after Rumney fullback Dan Millward and flanker Simon Barry had attacked with strong individual runs. Rumney launched attacks at every opportunity, hooker Carl Fish, prop John Leadbeatter and second row Joe Mills relishing their battles in the contact area, and Barry harassing the opposing halfbacks, but The Steelmen were quick to bring up their defensive line, win turnovers and when in possession, carefully build up efficient phase play. Athough the Rumney lineouts were still ragged at times, second row Paul Bull did win useful ball at the back of the line and prop Colin O'Donoghue battered his way forward, but Ebbw Vale absorbed the drives and counterattacked at speed, prop Dan Goode, Sweet and Captain Damien Hudd leading with midfield bursts, and Simpson constantly looking to run from deep positions. The closing period of the first half found the Steelmen patiently setting up more phased play, especially from the lineouts, and Rumney looking to Chris Jones, Barry and Fenton to make fast breaks out of defence, but the visitors arrived at the interval having been pinned largely in their own territory.

Rumney needed to defend fiercely again after the break, Rees making important tackles and centre Luke Fear and Andrews trying hard to counterattack, but gaps did start to appear and in the forty fifth minute Andrews was sent to the sinbin for an offside offence, though he was soon joined there by Dorian Jones who had also incurred the wrath of referee Jason Langdon. With the sides again having an equal number of players, the visitors enjoyed their best period of the game, Fenton and winger Lee Bendon taking on the opposition and the forwards gaining a strong foothold in the Ebbw Vale twenty two. Rees had now taken over the scrum half role and from the set piece fed Clark, whose perfectly timed pass sent Gareth Stoppani away on a superb break infield, and when the dynamic winger was pulled down just short of the line, he set it up for Rees to spread the ball wide to Clark on the loop, who crossed in the corner for a fine try which narrowed the score to 10-5. The Steelmen struck back quickly, wingers Wesley Cunliffe and Tom Ashmead making a dangerous breakout from deep in their own half, and when outstanding home forward Sweet won a midfield turnover, the backs were released and Cunliffe worked Simpson clear to score another good try. The fullback's successful conversion of his own try took the score to 17-5 and five minutes later, in the fifty ninth minute, this was stretched to 24-5 when Ebbw Vale took advantage of more penalty awards to set up their favoured attacking lineout, but this time Dai Jones wrongfooted everyone and instead of feeding his backs, slipped a clever reverse pass to Sweet on the burst, the speedy lock slicing straight through and crashing over for the try, Simpson again adding the extra points. Rumney tried to regain the initiative, Barry claiming a turnover and Clark organising the moves, but more indiscipline and penalty infringements had the effect of taking the Steelmen back into the visitors' twenty two for another lineout and rolling maul, this time flanker Nicky Coughlin finishing it off with the touchdown. Trailing 29-5 and with fifteen minutes remaining, Rumney made personnel changes, brining on Michael Neale in the second row, Michael Kelly at flanker and Chris Milton at scrum half, all three immediately making their presence felt and showing determination to take on The Steelmen in the closing period. Ebbw Vale again penned the visitors deep in their own half and Rumney found it increasingly difficult to get out of their twenty two, their scrummage remaining solid but their lineout still not functioning smoothly, and Milton disrupting the hosts' movements wherever possible near the set piece, but in the seventy fourth minute The Steelmen spread the ball from a scrummage, Simpson creating an overlap and Dearden running in his side's fifth try. The final minutes were a frantic affair, both sides spinning the ball and opening play up, Rumney bringing on Nathan Bridson and Desmond Matthews to maintain pace in the pack, and Rees and Milton sniping and running at the opposition, but Ebbw Vale applied more controlled pressure to secure an impressive 34-5 victory.

Match photography by Graham, Ebbw Vale RFC

Matt Silva, Coach Rumney 1st XV : "We went into this match after preparing well in training this week, it was important to go to Eugene Cross Park feeling confident and going there to win. It was a big ask but even at fifteen minutes into the second half it was still 10-5 and we felt we may have had a chance to push them all the way, but with a few powerplays Ebbw Vale scored three tries and gained a bonus point. I have read numerous reports that we went there to spoil and slow down the game, at no point in our preparations this week did we discuss this, it beggars belief that if a high flying side scores less than forty points it is because their lowly opposition slow up games. If it had not been for their driving lineouts and close quarter play Ebbw Vale would not have achieved a scoreline of thirty four points, in short it was a lack of application and accuracy on their part, as opposed to our using negative tactics, but we are looking forward to welcoming them to Riverside Park for the return fixture. I have to say a big thank you to Colin O'Donoghue for playing in what is possibly the most physical and challenging position of tight head, if it was not for him we would have had to start with passive scrums, and I was also pleased with another Rumney Youth product, Lee Bendon, who had an excellent game on the wing. Today's Man of the Match was Ryan Fenton."

Neil Coles, Forwards Coach Rumney 1st XV : "The boys put in a lot of effort today, we competed against one of the best sides in the League and if it wasn't for a purple patch in the second half, the match would have been a lot closer. Special praise goes to Colin O'Donoghue who had an oustanding game, out of position at tight head. John Leadbeatter, Chris Jones and Ryan Fenton had excellent games and hopefully we can build on this performance for next week, and get a result against Beddau."

Above left : Matt Silva, right : Neil Coles

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